


And When I'm Home You Know I Got You

by AlexxWrites



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur and Kieran have a kid, F/M, John just has a lot of feelings, Kieran and Arthur are alive and in love, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:54:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24368437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexxWrites/pseuds/AlexxWrites
Summary: For the first time in a long time, everything in John's life is perfect. He has a loving wife, his son is brighter than he ever was, he has an honest career, and most of all, everyone is safe. Things really couldn't get much better. That is, until someone very important from John's past walks back into his life again after being presumed dead.It seems everything can get better after all. Family has a way of doing that.
Relationships: Abigail Roberts Marston/John Marston, Kieran Duffy/Arthur Morgan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	And When I'm Home You Know I Got You

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this fic is from my friend, who asked me to write this. (Original character is hers as well)
> 
> You can find her at vedefumk on tumblr and instagram!!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :)
> 
> (The title is from The 1975's Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You)

The sun shone brilliantly through the trees overhead, casting vast shadows across the forest floor. It was a relatively warm and clear day. Not so hot that it was uncomfortable, but not chilly enough for a coat either. A gentle breeze traveled down from the surrounding mountains, creating a rather pleasant coolness.

The perfect day to hunt. 

John stepped carefully across a small clearing and, before he continued on his search, looked around to make sure he wasn't going to scare off any game. Once he was confident that he was in the clear, he walked back into the thick of the forest.

* * *

That morning, he and Abigail had woken up at sunrise as they usually did and got to work. John had tended to the livestock until well into midday, taking small breaks here and there to talk to Jack (and yell at Uncle for not working). Around one o'clock Abigail had walked out onto the porch, squinting toward the struggling garden, and called her husband over. 

"What's the matter?" he asked, walking up and onto the porch to stand next to her. She frowned, placing her hands on her hips. 

"The crops still ain't been doin' good. And we're low on meat."

John looked over at the cows, trying to figure out if he should slaughter one or not. Abby waved dismissively.

"We should wait on that, John. At least until we've got some calves." 

John thought for a moment, knowing she was getting at something. 

"Well I guess I could go hunting today."

Abigail smiled and brought him down for a kiss. "Bring us back a good lookin' deer? I'll cook for us."

"How could I say no to that?" John said with a laugh, squeezing her hand before heading inside to get his gear.

* * *

He walked along, just within sight of the lake, until he came upon another clearing. He watched as a great stag gracefully strode into the sunlight, stopped, and began to graze. John carefully lifted his rifle and brought the scope to his eye, allowing himself to concentrate wholly on the task at hand. He placed his finger over the trigger...

Everything seemed to happen all at once. An arrow flying by caused John to spin around immediately, his eyes darting wildly for any source of danger. Another arrow, this one whizzing right over his head and hitting the tree behind him, distracted him long enough for someone to sneak up and punch him in the face, sending him flying backwards. In a panic, John grabbed his rife and attempted to aim at whoever was closest. Although his vision was now blurry, he could now see that his attackers were Skinners, two of them. He fired somewhere in the general direction of one and luckily, hit him right in the stomach, sending him to the ground choking and spluttering. 

John hauled himself to his feet and hit another (the one who punched him) with his gun in the face. The man fell to the ground clutching his face in agony, and one more shot finished the job.   
  
A sudden sharp pain brought John to his knees. An arrow now lay embedded in his side, blood gushing out from the wound. Another Skinner cheered from somewhere out of sight before running towards his victim. John began to struggle, desperately searching for some sort of purchase to stand up, and in doing so quickened the blood loss significantly.

Just before everything went dark, someone yelled out something incomprehensible followed by a shot. The Skinner went down. 

His last thoughts were of Abigail and Jack before losing all consciousness. 

* * *

Sunlight beamed in with intensity through an open window. John, whose rest had now been disturbed by the light in his eyes, sat up with a pained grunt. Panic quickly set in as soon as he processed the unfamiliar surroundings.

He was in a bed, in a small but cozy room. His side was firmly bandaged, and although he could already feel an ache coming on, he could only assume he had been given some medicine at some point. He certainly wasn't kidnapped, so a stranger took him in?

" _God damn_ ". John cursed under his breath as he forced himself into a sitting position and then, taking care not to upset his side, to his feet. The ache was stronger now, but not unbearable. Probably wasn't supposed to be out of bed so early, but when did John Marston ever listen to what was best for him?

He was cautious as he made his way out of the room and down the hallway. With a hand on his side and the other maintaining balance along the wall, John stepped out into the living room. He noticed the back of someone's head sitting on the couch, looking out the window. Long black hair. Something was oddly familiar about them, but he couldn't quite figure out why...

" _John_ _!_ " 

Everything stopped. Unsure of what else to do, John turned around to face the owner of the voice, now paying no mind to the man on the couch. 

The two of them stood there for a moment, entirely frozen. In the blink of an eye his arms were wrapped around John tight and John cried, he cried harder than he had in years with no hope of stopping. 

" _Arthur_!", it was the only thing he could say as he sobbed into his brother's shoulder, fists clasping at the back of his shirt.

" _Shhh, it's alright. It's okay._ " Arthur said, running a soothing hand up and down John's back. It was only a few minutes before John got his breathing back under control and the tears stopped, but it might as well have been hours. He leaned back and he could see that Arthur had been crying too. 

"How are you? I mean I though-" "I could say the same thing for you!" 

"Why don't y'all sit down?"

John looked back to the couch and almost had yet _another_ heart attack. 

" _Kieran?_ " 

Said man grinned.

"The one and only!" 

Arthur walked to the couch and took Kieran by the hand. The two of them stood in front of John now, fingers interlocked. 

"Me and Kieran, we've been living together for years now." said Arthur. Kieran nodded along, silently encouraging his partner with a squeeze to his hand. John figured out what he meant pretty quickly. 

"Oh... well that's great!" John said thoughtfully. "I never would have thought, you know with how everything was back then."

Arthur chuckled. "Yeah. Me and Kieran here get along now, don't we?" 

Kieran just shook his head and laughed. 

* * *

The three of them decided to move their conversation to the front porch. John was the first to ask.

"I still don't understand. How are you still alive? I mean... Jesus, Arthur, I saw you. You were dying." 

Arthur sighed, clearly not looking forward to recounting everything that happened after the downfall. 

"I was dyin'. After Micah beat me half to death I fell down. I was lying there and I didn't think I was ever gonna get back up again."

John and Kieran both visibly winced. After a few seconds, he continued. 

"So I figured I'd watch the sunset one last time. I turned over and after a little while I closed my eyes because I was ready. I don't know how, but I woke up a few hours later. It took everything in me just to stand up, but eventually I got off that mountain and went back to what was left of the camp. I didn't know where else to go." 

Arthur looked to Kieran expectedly. 

"Not long after that I showed up. See, I'd gone out with Arthur and Sadie to finish off the last of Colm's men up in West Elizabeth. I stayed behind while they headed back because with everything that had been goin' on I needed some time to think. For a while I just moved around a bit, stoppin' to fish for a few days here and there, trying to relax. Course' by the time I went back everyone was already gone. Everyone but Arthur."

"I explained everything to him, and I was clearly too weak to fend for myself so we left together." Arthur explained, "I was still deathly ill. We jumped around from hotel to hotel, with Kieran picking up jobs where he could. I was too sick to contribute as much as I wanted to most of the time. It's a miracle but over time I got better and better. The doctors we saw said all that rest is what saved me, but shit, I think it was Kieran. After a few years and a whole bunch of hard work we had enough to buy this place, and here we are today." 

"I don't even know what to say..." John said, the same look of disbelief on his face as he had had the entire time listening to their story. "I mean I guess I should just say that I'm beyond happy you two are alive and well, if that wasn't clear already. I spent so long thinking I'd lost you, Arthur. I'll be happy to have you in our life again."

Arthur smiled, his eyes practically beaming with joy. "What about you, Marston? Where's Abigail and Jack?"

John laughed. "You're not gonna believe this, but we've got a ranch out near- where is this?" 

"Scarlett Meadows."

"Blackwater. What were you doing all the way out in Tall Trees?" 

Kieran took another hit of the cigarette him and Arthur had been sharing before speaking. "We were picking up some supplies from Manzanita and I wanted to go fishin' in the lake. That's how we found you. Of course, we didn't know you lived around there so we just brought you back here." 

"Abigail must be worried sick." Arthur fretted. "We'll get you back soon." 

"Don't worry about her, she'll understand once we get back." John said assuringly. "Let's just get all caught up first." 

* * *

John spent the next two hours or so retelling everything that happened after the night the gang disbanded. The traveling, working for Mr. Geddes, Abigail leaving, finding Charles and Sadie again, and most importantly, how they had tracked down Micah together in the end. He told them everything. Arthur was especially interested in the wedding (and shocked when he discovered that he used Mary's ring to propose). It was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon by the time they had all decided to ride back to Beecher's Hope together. 

John and Arthur stood by the wagon while Kieran went to get the horses, and it was just then a young boy, looking to be around the age of 10, ran up from the side of the house. His face and clothes were dirty from playing outside. 

"Hi mister!" 

John looked to Arthur for an explanation and found that he looked embarrassed. 

"Um, John, I'd like you to meet Roscoe... he's our son." 

Roscoe waved enthusiastically, a big grin on his face. John was at a loss for words.

"He was alone and didn't have anybody so we took him in. Reminds me of us." Arthur chuckled, reaching out a hand to ruffle Rosecoe's hair. 

* * *

They reached Beecher's Hope just before sundown. John was the first to get off the wagon, seeing as Abigail was running towards them for an explanation. They met in the middle and gripped onto each other, Abby fussing about how scared she was after John didn't come back.

"It's alright, honey. _Look_." 

She turned to where the others were standing and gasped. 

As Abigail threw herself into Arthur's arms, John thought about the future. He thought about how different everything would be now, for the better. He even thought about whether or not he should return Arthur's hat to him now that he was here. Someone calling his name brought him back to reality. 

"How about that dinner now?" 

John took his wife's hand and replied, "How could I say no to that?" 


End file.
